Be Prepared
It's not unusual for the MOB to feel extremely stressed on the day of her daughter's wedding; in fact, you could start feeling tense in the weeks leading up to the big day, even if you're not a high-strung person in your real life. What can you do to keep your cool? For starters, you need to take a realistic look at life before the final days and weeks prior to the wedding approach. More specifically, you need to make your own life easier during this time by not overscheduling yourself. Don't try to squeeze a vacation in two weeks before the wedding; don't agree to attend an out-of-town conference the week before; don't take on any big projects that will be due the day before the ceremony.
Clear your schedule! You're going to be busy taking care of last-minute details and tying up any loose ends (and perhaps even repairing them) as the wedding draws near. You'll make yourself miserable if you take on too much too close to the wedding.
Once you've minimized your potential for overload, take a look at the outside world. Maybe it's been a while since you took the time to notice that, despite everyone's best intentions, life isn't perfect. You can't banish imperfection from the planet, not even for one day, not even if you plan every single detail. Don't expect the wedding day to be without its problems; in the end, you're dealing with humans — and humans make mistakes.
Just remember, you can greatly reduce the chance of anything going wrong by planning early and planning carefully, but you can never eliminate the potential for mishaps altogether. An MOB who can adapt and respond calmly to small problems is more likely to enjoy herself despite any last-minute changes in the overall wedding plans.
CommunicationAlthough so much planning has been going on since day one (after the engagement), you have to make sure that you continue to keep an open line of communication with key players. Ask your daughter about the other things that are going on in her life. If you feel like she is being pulled in too many directions, ask the maid of honor to help when you know you can't. That is the maid of honor's job! Don't forget the groom, although they are getting married, your daughter may be trying to hide her stress from her fiancé. Gently nudge your daughter to lean on him now — it's great practice for marriage.
